|
|
|
Updates from NYPGA - December 5, 2014
|
|
Published Weekly by NYPGA
|
|
|
Legislative & Regulatory - Dick Brescia, NYPGA Lobbyist
|
CONTAINER LAW - As published last week, Governor Cuomo vetoed the Container Law for the second time in late November. NYPGA is in contact with bill sponsors, Senator Young and Assm. Magee, who have offered to support our renewed effort to explain the bill to the office of the governor's counsel. The veto acknowledges some companies are in fact filling tanks they do not own, that the state may be put to some expense to settle a "commercial dispute", even though no such comments were entered into the record from the division of the Budget, and that a "container law" somehow restricts consumer choice,
RRONY MEETING - Dick Brescia and Rich Cummings attended the Railroads of New York (RRONY) meeting this week and made presentations on propane. The short line industry is quite extensive in NY and covers much of the state. Rick explained our increasing dependency on rail and changes to production and infrastructure that place stress on the propane industry in the northeast. RRONY membership extends to ancillary companies and to interstates as well. The biggest concerns appears to be rebuilding the infrastructure using one time settlement funds that many states received from banks engaged in illegal currency dealings with several nations.
MEETING with NYSERDA, NYS DOT, including "Rail  Section Chief" - This annual meeting explores the winter outlook and possible need to address shortages via application for waivers from the driver-hour-limitation rule. Rick, Art Ogden and Tom Heslop represented NYPGA and Bill Leonard, Ray Hessinger from DOT and Charlie Wesley of NYSERDA for the state.
TRUCK BAN - The Governor's truck ban of November 26 came and went in 24 hours. As reported last week, NYPGA joined the New York Motor Truck Association in a letter to Governor Cuomo asking the Governor to consider the implication of the ban on fuel, food and emergency services. Propane retailers reported that commercial trucks were actually on the road during the ban, and one NYPGA Board member described the enforcement of the ban on that day as "soft". NYPGA asked that the letter explicitly list propane with other commodities and for consideration for a driver hour limitation waiver should the closure cause stranded drivers to burn up hours.
TOWNS/VILLAGES - Association of Towns and Villages courses in Summer of 2014: John Hart, at the invitation of Towns, trained two groups of local officials from Malone and Batavia as part of our PERC-sponsored presentation to the Towns annual meeting every February. Tom Heslop asked district directors Tom Hyde and David Williams to coordinate with local officials and dealers to support these lectures. Our goal is to establish an independent route to these officials who must consider siting permits but whose knowledge is limited.
MOTOR FUEL TAX CHANGE - The NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance has published the annual Motor Fuel tax rates for 2015. This composite rate is derived from the those imposed on gasoline, diesel under three taxes - sales, motor fuel and Petroleum Business Tax. Our members remit these taxes but propane is NOT taxed under the PBT (Art. 13 A)
|
|
PERC Extends Double Incentives
|
PERC: The Propane Mower Incentive Program will go through March 2015.
In response to overwhelming interest, the Propane Education & Research Council is extending the time frame for landscape contractors to receive double the incentive dollars awarded through PERC's Propane Mower Incentive Program. Initially set to expire at the end of the year, program participants will now be able to earn $2,000 toward the purchase of a new propane-powered mower and $1,000 toward a qualified conversion as the program extends through March 31, 2015.
Contractors can apply for the Mower Incentive Program at propane.com.
The Mower Incentive Program is just one of many tools which PERC offers contractors to help them save money with propane. PERC's suite of cost-calculator tools is designed for use in the propane industry's fastest-growing markets, including commercial landscape. The calculator tool, available at propanecostcalculator.com, estimates potential fuel savings and ROI for contractors using clean, American-made propane when compared with conventional fuels like gasoline and diesel.
|
|
NPGA: Tax Credits Preserved
|
NPGA announced this week that several tax provisions important to the propane industry are on track to be extended for 2014. 
In anticipation of a Presidential Veto, a new proposal emerged from the House of Representatives on Monday evening that provided for a one-year extension of the expiring provisions, with no provisions being made permanent. This extension package included Section 179 expensing, bonus depreciation, and the 50 cents-per-gallon fuel credit. NPGA, after reviewing the House bill, found the credit for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property had been left out.
NPGA immediately began working with its Hill connections to correct this issue. Via rapid response and targeted grassroots, NPGA worked several Members of the House Ways & Means Committee reach out on behalf of the industry, and these efforts proved successful. Inn fact, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Dave Camp (MI), personally introduced an amendment reinstating the credit. This was the only amendment to the bill, with a total price tag of nearly $45 billion over ten years. The House Rules Committee accepted NPGA's amendment, and passed this legislation on to the House floor with all of our credits intact.
Passed the House by a vote of 378-46, the Senate will now consider the bill. NPGA remains optimistic about the so-called "tax extenders" debate, and continues to work the issue on behalf of our industry.
|
|
Finger Lakes Project
|
NYPGA participated in a radio show last Sunday in support of the Finger lakes Project. The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, a significant supporter of the project hosts a weekly radio show on WBNF Radio AM 1290 on Sundays at 7pm (eastern). NYPGA Executive Shane Sweet joined representatives from project owner Crestwood and the United Steelworkers on the hour-long show.
As reported previously, NYPGA is in the process of filing an Amicus brief in support of the project.
|
|
|
Thousands of Stuffers ordered for Finger Lakes Project
| |
Thousands of bill stuffers have been ordered by industry members thus far. Used to support the Finger Lakes Project, these bill stuffers (follow the sample linked below) can be shipped and mailed to you at no cost. Visit the link below and request enough bill stuffers to share with your customers. All dealers that request bill stuffers will be recognized at NYPGA's Spring Conference for your efforts and will be automatically enrolled in a drawing to win a FREE iPad.
To view a sample: Bill stuffer or email NYPGA for a pdf.
|
|
NYPGA Members
| |
NYPGA welcomes its new members:
Associate Member
HBDR LLC, contact Reed Fuller (Tom Overbaugh, Sponsor)
PO BOX 448
Parish NY 13131
315-569-0004
Marketer Member
Liberty Gas Service Inc. contact Kyle Laube
(Robert Miller, Sponsor)
225 Old Riverhead road
Westhampton Beach NY 11978
631-288-0902
Individual member
Noel Myer (Kim Nachbar, Sponsor)
Crestwood
Two Bush Creek Suite 200
Kansas City MO 64112
816-714-5446
We regularly publish and welcome the newest NYPGA members in this newsletter Use the following links to get an NYPGA membership application and invite prospective members to join. See the list of newest members in the November 14 newsletter. See a recent list of NYPGA member locations by clicking for the pdf.
|
|
NYPGA, PERC NY Boards
| |
The year-end NYPGA Board of Directors' meeting, as well as NY PERC Board meeting, were held in Colonie this past Wednesday. A full report will come in next week's issue. For more information, contact NYPGA at nypga@nycap.rr.com
|
| 2015 Sponsorship Reservations Available | |
NYPGA 2015 Sponsorships are availabe now from Barb at NYPGA. For a reservation form, contact NYPGA at nypga@nycap.rr.com, or click the line for the current 2015 sponsorship form in pdf format.
|
|
Newsletter List passes 460
| |
NYPGA publications like this are now sent to over 460 member contacts. If by some chance you are reading this because you received it from someone other than NYPGA, please send your complete contact information to NYPGA and we will make sure you are added to the list to receive future publications directly. BOUNCED: We have a short list of email addresses that are not getting to the intended recipients and we are working to cure these one at a time.
|
|
Available: Sheet Metal Venting/Ductwork, Tanks
| |
Mike Taylor of Combined Energy Services tells NYPGA of an abundance of sheet metal venting, ductwork and tanks looking for a new home. All are available "for cheap". 
Tanks, $70 each, number 200 available: 71 gal / 300 lb. tanks, all with a multivalve, no gauges, some galvanized.
click here to see ductwork and tank pics
Contact Mike at (845) 794-6226, or mtaylor@combinedenergyservices.com
|
|
Send NYPGA Your News
| |
Have news that you would like to get out? Send your company news to NYPGA, and we will do our best to publish it in the weekly NYPGA publication. Please add us to your list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
PO Box 760
Clifton Park, New York 12065
518-383-3823
518-383-3824 (Fax)
Contacts
Shane Sweet
NYPGA Executive & Technical Director
shanemsweet@gmail.com
802.558.6101 cell/text
Barbara Roach
NYPGA Associate Executive Director
nypga@nycap.rr.com
518.961.0435 cell
|
|
2014 NYPGA Corporate Sponsors:
Ray Murray Inc.
Kurtz Truck Equipment www.kurtztruckequipment.com
Crestwood LP www.crestwoodlp.com/wholesale
Enterprise Products www.enterpriseproducts.com
NGL Supply Wholesale
www.nglsupplyinc.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
